Renegotiating Sustainable Agricultural Concession Agreements: The case of Liberia

The document details Liberia's transition from outdated 'scoop and ship' agricultural contracts to a more transparent, regulated framework for foreign direct investment. Key reforms included the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2005 and the Investment Act of 2010, which established inter-agency coordination and a model template for negotiations. The government also introduced the National Concessions Portal of Liberia for land-use monitoring and mandated community development committees to ensure local benefits. The case emphasizes the importance of translating agreements into simple language and involving local authorities to ensure meaningful community engagement.

• Post-war Liberia sought to replace outdated agricultural agreements characterized by a "scoop and ship" mentality, where raw materials were exported with minimal domestic processing, in order to boost the economy and create jobs.
• Two primary legal instruments facilitated the renegotiation of contracts: the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2005 (amended 2010), which provided a transparent roadmap for agency participation, and the Investment Act of 2010, which established a screening process for foreign direct investment involving the National Investment Commission, Ministry of Finance, and Liberia Revenue Authority.
• Legal reforms enabled the government to cap long-term concessions at 50 years and identify sensitive sectors where foreign investment is prohibited.
• To standardize negotiations and ensure minimum requirements for food security and poverty alleviation, the government developed a model template agreement with non-negotiable "red lines."
• The National Concessions Portal of Liberia was established as an online platform to map concessions and identify affected communities, aiding in the monitoring of land under-utilization and fostering trust between stakeholders.
• To improve community engagement, the government focused on translating complex agreements into simple English and utilizing district or county authorities to explain nuances in regional dialects.
• The government introduced community development committees, comprising community members, government representatives, and concessionaires, to ensure local participation in the development of concession areas.

APA

Picard, F., & Maina, N. (2021). Renegotiating Sustainable Agricultural Concession Agreements: The case of Liberia. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/renegotiating-sustainable-agricultural-concession-agreements-liberia.pdf

Chicago

Picard, Francine, and Nyaguthii Maina. Renegotiating Sustainable Agricultural Concession Agreements: The case of Liberia. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/renegotiating-sustainable-agricultural-concession-agreements-liberia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Picard |first1=Francine |last2=Maina |first2=Nyaguthii |title=Renegotiating Sustainable Agricultural Concession Agreements: The case of Liberia |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/renegotiating-sustainable-agricultural-concession-agreements-liberia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{picard2021renegotiating, author = {Picard, Francine and Maina, Nyaguthii}, title = {{Renegotiating Sustainable Agricultural Concession Agreements: The case of Liberia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/renegotiating-sustainable-agricultural-concession-agreements-liberia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }